Using the words slow and fashion in the same sentence may sound contradictory. Wait a minute. Isn’t a constant need to buy newer, better things the very lifeblood of the fashion industry? Technically, yes, but I think we’re all finally starting to wake up to the importance of sustainability within the industry—as in, celebrating the brands that integrate ethical practices at every point in production, from sourcing to selling, not just tacking on the word as a buzzy new way to sell the same thing they were before.
We’ve covered it before here, but I had never been able to shake my murky perception of slow fashion as something more ambiguous rather than tangible. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon an Instagram account selling colorful market bags last summer, and subsequently went about trying to get my hands on one, that the real meaning of slow fashion started to sink in. The brand, Chivatas Bags, seemed to be perpetually sold-out, and in the end, I acquired my very own bag after months of emailing back and forth with the brand, turning on its Instagram post notifications, and waiting patiently for it to hand-make more. (Now do you see why it’s called slow fashion?)
My natural curiosity to hunt down the coolest under-the-radar brands took me to down yet another Instagram rabbit hole, landing me on the following eight sustainable fashion brands that bring a lot of life to the often ambiguous term slow fashion. From the French mother-daughter duo behind a certain celeb-loved brand for dreamy blouses to the brand making quirky earrings out of found objects, keep reading to discover and shop the coolest sustainable fashion brands of the moment.
On the topic of indie fashion brands, these are the indie jewelry brands my personal collection is overflowing with.
Source: Who What Wear